Finding a house to rent has become increasingly challenging in Alicante. Since the pandemic, rental demand has surged faster than supply, tightening the market and pushing prices higher across the board.
Data from Idealista shows a clear contraction in available homes. On average, there are about 25% fewer properties on the market now than a year ago, with drops occasionally reaching 32% during peak periods.
The squeeze is even sharper for apartments. Alicante City, the provincial capital, recorded the largest drop in vacant flats in the region. Current offers are roughly 52% down from a year earlier, a striking figure that points to a tight rental environment.
Other major cities follow a similar pattern: Palma experiences a 47% decline, while Barcelona and Malaga each report around a 46% reduction in rental availability. Valencia shows 36% less rental stock, and Madrid, Badajoz, and Girona each see roughly a 33% decrease. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ciudad Real, Tarragona, and Guadalajara trail with declines in the 29–32% range.
The photograph of less supply is supported by a combination of economic recovery, workers moving on for new job opportunities, the growth of remote work, and a renewed interest in in-person university courses that had faded during the pandemic. All these factors fuel demand while the number of listed rentals struggles to keep pace.
Only one in ten Alicante apartments meets rental assistance criteria
Alongside tighter stock, owners of vacant flats have grown cautious about listing properties. Fears of payment defaults and the difficulty of evicting problem tenants have dampened enthusiasm to bring units onto the market.
The consequence is a noticeable rise in rents. In the Alicante province, the average lease value rose by 17.1% last year, reaching about 8.5 euros per square meter. In practical terms, a typical 80-square-meter apartment now costs around 680 euros per month to rent.
Another sign of tension is the acceleration of price growth. Idealista recently published a study noting that the market is migrating toward more affordable options becoming increasingly scarce. Whereas, a year ago, up to 63% of rental listings in Alicante city offered rents below 750 euros per month, today only about 26% of available homes fall into that threshold.
All these movements point to a rental market where demand remains robust, while the supply pipeline struggles to catch up. For renters, that can mean higher monthly costs and tighter competition for desirable properties, particularly in central districts and near university campuses.
In summary, Alicante and its surrounding areas have entered a phase where the balance tips toward landlords and investors. Renters may need to be prepared with quick decision-making, flexible terms, and a clear understanding of what constitutes affordable housing in this evolving market. This context helps explain the current dynamics, from the drop in available units to the notable increases in monthly rents.